California Legislature plates cannot be ordered as a gift

QUESTION: My dad is a retired member of the California Legislature and I wanted to get him a special license plate that denotes this. Is there a special plate for legislature members?

ANSWER: How thoughtful of you! The DMV will issue distinctive license plates for a motor vehicle owned by a current or retired member of the California Legislature and a member of the Congress of the United States, however, a relative cannot request a Legislative license plate.

The application for the legislative plate must be signed by the qualifying applicant, such as the current or retired member of the California State Legislature or current member of Congress. That person will be required to complete an application that will be processed at the department's Capitol Legislative Office and also will be required to pay a fee additional to the regular fees for an original registration or renewal of registration and will need to be renewed annually. Learn more about special license plates here: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/online/elp/elp.htm

I received a bicycle violation and the courts notified the DMV. Why would the courts report the violation?

The courts report the violation to ensure the fine will be paid. Because a bicycle is not defined as a “vehicle” under the California Vehicle Code and a driver license is not required; no points will be added to your driving record. If the person being cited does not have a driver license, the court will create a driving record to ensure the fine will be paid. If the person does not pay the fine, he or she possibly could be barred from getting a driver license until the fine is paid. The violation will be removed from your driving record when the fine is paid. Learn more about moving violations for bicycles and vehicles here: www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/vioptct.htm.

I've been seeing a lot of distracted drivers on the road and one in particular had me worried. He was changing speeds and drifting in and out of his lane. The entire time I could see that he was on his phone. What should I have done?

The California Highway Patrol continues to crack down on distracted driving; unfortunately, there are still many who use hand-held phones while driving. To answer your question, we checked with the CHP and in the future if you feel your safety or the safety of those around you is put at risk by the actions of another driver contact 911. Be prepared to provide the dispatcher with a description of the vehicle, its license plate number, direction of travel, and other information so that officers in the area may be able to locate the vehicle and respond appropriately. Be sure to call using a hands-free phone connection. For tips on avoiding distracted driving: www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffdl28.htm

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Save time, go online to make an appointment at the DMV: www.dmv.ca.gov .